How to get YOUR best massage….Ask for it!

“What is your goal for this massage session?” I asked
“My goal is reducing my neck and back pain.” My Client answered.
This morning my first client was new and needed to fill out the
Intake form. She didn’t have her glasses with her so I offered to help
her fill it out. I read and asked her the questions and wrote down her
answers. As we were finishing up, the final question is.  “What is
your goal for this massage session?”  She said, “I want to not have
this pain in my neck and back”.
I said, “Ok let’s see how much of your goal we can take care of in
this session”.
She is a care giver for her 96-year- old Mother, lifting and
pulling are repetitive activities that have created her discomfort. She
does not get a lot of time to herself and for selfcare. My goal was to
make her first session special and specific for her needs. As I started
palpating her neck and shoulders. She responded to the touch
immediately showing hypersensitivity. I reduced the pressure to her
needs and comfort level. Slow and easy we continued the session.
When the hour massage was completed, I left the treatment room so
she could get off the table and get dressed.
She opened the door when she was ready. I asked her how we
did with our goal of reducing her pain level. 
She was smiling and said her pain was gone and she could rotate her
head so much better to look side to side.
I love massage therapy, I love what I do! I am grateful to offer
soft tissue pain relief and improve range of motion. She was specific
about her needs and I understood her situation. We worked
together; she communicated and I listened and I could tell when she
responded positively. I hope to see her on a regular basis based on her availability and keep her pain level down and continue to improve her rotation.